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Home > Degree Programs > Teaching & Courses > 2008-2009 Course Listing > International Relations: Theory and Practice
IGA-101: International Relations: Theory and Practice
Faculty: Stephen Walt
Schedule
| Day | Time | Location | |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Day | 9/10 | ||
| Meet Day | M/W | 1:10 PM - 2:30 PM | Land |
| Review |
Description
This course examines the main theoretical approaches to international relations and shows how they can be used (and misused) to study contemporary policy issues. Lectures will present and critique the main alternative theories (realism, liberalism, constructivism, decision making, etc.) and show how reliance on different theories can leads to different policy conclusions. Students taking this course will acquire a professional-level familiarity with the main ideas and terminology of the field and should be able to evaluate competing policy prescriptions more rigorously. Specific topics include the nature of power, domestic regime type, norms and ideas, nationalism, the role of institutions, globalization, and misperception. Policy issues include U.S. national security strategy, global responses to U.S. primacy, ethnic conflict, human rights, democracy promotion, terrorism, and the role of non-state actors.
There will be one lecture and discussion session (Socratic method) each week, and students will be expected to have mastered approximately 200 pages of reading per week. Grades will be based on class participation (including a group assignment), several short papers, and a final take-home exam. Priority enrollment will be given to IGA concentrators.